July 2012 Trip - Post 4

Monday 7.23.12

Fresh showers and a good night sleep did wonders for the soul.  Today was a full day.  It hit right in the face, taking a taxi to the Owino, the largest marketing in Kampla.  At times it’s an open market (as open as 10,000 vendors jammed into a large parking can be) and other times it’s a maze of cardboard and merchandise.  You could easily get lost.  So, we split up in teams and shopped for clothes, food (including a live chicken), and extras with 100,000 UGX ($40) per team.  Dax and Victor got the best deals but Dave, Bo, and Alan did find Dave a nice pair of green jeans for less than a $1.  Mission accomplished, we know what it means to set up a retail store. Have a much better perspective when review business plans.

Then in the afternoon we had two home visits of two current choir children – Moses and Samantha.    Sunday we learned how the kids from the village lived; now it’s time to experience how the kids from the city (slums) lived. The families were content, proud of their children, and smiles that were warm and welcoming.  It was a humble experience to be in their house, to speak to them to see how they lived.  We live in such an extreme - wealth, talent, and future.  How should we respond?  The pictures can’t describe it.  Families of 7 lives in a dirt floor “house” the size of my closet.  Children sleep with parents or on the floor.  It’s eye opening.